2 (formerly 3) grown ups sharing a kitchen in inner city Melbourne. Both determined to eat very well for under $10/meal each. A place to share recipes, stories and cooking tips and, of course, to convert "meal in a box" believers and takeout food regulars

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

A friend asked me casually over lunch if I still cook "white food" (aka non Asian food) at home since I have been posting nothing but Asian dishes of late.....well he was quite right, apart from the weekly pasta dishes and the odd burgers every now and then, I had been cooking mainly Asian fares.

That was until Tummy requested for "a chicken salad" when I phoned to ask for dinner suggestions. This is what I came up with after a quick shopping trip to the supermarket. You may do without the mango or replace it with some boiled potato for a more substantial meal on a colder night.

If you want to spend even less time in the kitchen, half a shop bought roast chicken will do the trick. Haven't got any pomegranate molasses on hand? do not stress! A dressing with red wine vinegar, honey, mustard and olive oil will be an equally delicious substitute.

P.S I used mainly Middle Eastern seasonings in this recipe but feel free to do a Thai or Chinese version but simply altering some of the ingredients.

recipe from the tummies' kitchenserve 2 to 3 as a one dish mealyou'll need;
3 chicken maryland
2 cloves of garlic, pounded with a pinch of salt*
1/2 tbs of smoked paprika*
1/2 tbs of cumin powder*
pinch of pepper*
juice from half a lemon*
3 tbs of olive oil*
1 head of lettuce, torn
1 mango, peeled and cut into chunks
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
12 asparagus, trimmed of woody bits
3 eggs, boiled for 7 minutes, cooled and peeled
1 roasted pepper (homemade or from a jar), torn into large pieces

Monday, November 28, 2011

What are the must have side dishes when serving nasi lemak? For me the most basic serving of nasi lemak should be served with all the following condiments or toppings; a good sambal, cucumber slices, egg (hard boiled or fried), fried peanuts and fried anchovies (crispy or in a sambal)

In our household, we are divided into 2 fractions when it comes to how the dried anchovies should be prepared. Some like the crispy anchovies serve alongside the sambal and the rest prefer the anchovies to be mixed into the spicy sambal. What is your preference?

I decided to make a small batch of this delicious side dish when my craving for nasi lemak was becoming too painful to bear.

P.S a more detailed post on our recent nasi lemak meal will be posted in the coming days.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

We were once huge fans of the Moonlight Cinema when it first started some 15 years ago. Tummy was living a stone throw away from the venue and many warm summer evenings were spent at the Royal Botanical Garden lawn together with hundreds of other moviegoers.

For us the entertainment started when the crowds (many of them in their pyjamas) arrived with their peculiar looking rugs, pillows, blankets and extra large soft toys... stylish cushions and rugs were quite a rare sight indeed. What followed was a mass picnic with all these strangers while waiting for the film to be screened at sundown.

A picnic of course can't be without good food (and wine) and I was more than happy to take charge of that. The weather here in Melbourne can be quite unforgiving during the height of summer and this is one of the many cold dishes I prepared for one of those enjoyable evening.

Please don't wait until you next picnic to try this out, it is the perfect meal on a warm afternoon or evening with a nicely chilled bottle of riesling or rose'.

P.S smoked salmon is a wonderful substitute if sashimi fish is hard to come by in your area.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Many cultures in Asia have their own postnatal tradition to help a new mother recover from the (often traumatic and stressful) pregnancy, labour and birth of a child - such practice is generally known as confinement. The confinement period varies from culture to culture but generally lasted between 30 to 60 days.

In our modern age; many had ceased to observe the more old fashioned or superstitious aspects of the practice but continue to follow the rather strict diet during the confinement period and kacangma is such a dish eaten by new mothers in Sarawak, East Malaysia.

Traditionally a confinement dish for the Hakka women in the eastern state, it can be found in many restaurants and many do cook it regularly for the enjoyment of the whole family.

P.S Known as kacangma in Sarawak; motherworth herb (Leonurus cardiaca) or 益母草 (yi mu cao in Mandarin, meaning weed/herb that is beneficial to mothers) can be found at all Chinese herbalist. To all homesick Sarawakians, go to your closest Chinese herbalist if your "smuggled" stock is over :)

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Soy poached chicken was one of the dishes I made for my friend M when she was unwell; she has since become addicted to the wonderful dish, cooking it at least once a week if not more.

It was a pleasant surprise to find some leftover soy poached chicken in her fridge when I was looking for something to eat after helping her with some chores. Together with other ingredients I found, a delicious lunch was ready in less than 15 minutes.

Monday, November 21, 2011

There is my interpretation of a dish we often order at our local Malaysian restaurant. I used chicken instead of duck and the result was more than satisfactory.

The waiting staff at the Malaysian restaurant was unable to tell me the origin of the dish but I am quite sure it is of Nyonya origin judging by the ingredients used. What do you think?

P.S Try your local florists for the exotic sounding, tasting and smelling fresh torch ginger flower buds, otherwise they are available frozen from most good Asian grocers. I will be making the duck version soon, so please stay tuned!

Saute spice mix with some cooking oil, stirring constantly on medium heat until oil separates (~15 to 20 minutes) then add in plum sauce and the rest of the ingredients. Check for seasonings, it should be spicy, sweet, sour and extremely fragrant.

Shallow fry chicken pieces in batches until golden and crispy. Drain well and set aside.

Add chicken to the pot and coat well with the delicious sauce.

Top chicken with shredded mint and Vietnamese mint and serve as part of a Malaysian meal.

We had it with a simple mixed vegetables stir fry and plenty of steamed rice to mop up the delicious sauce.

My friend Sharon from Test With Skewer is hosting the November event. Please send all your entries to its.sharon@gmail.com. To find out more about the event and how to enter, please click HERE.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Friday is here again and where has the week gone to? If you are also playing hide and seek with time, this simple delicious stir fry might be what you are after.

I recently cooked for a dinner party hosted by my friend M and this is an extra dish I cooked using the hostess' recipe. A typical contemporary Malaysian dish that has ingredients sourced from different cultures and to me this is fusion food at its best.

P.S If you are unable to find cockles; pipis, clams or mussels will work equally well too.

serves 4 to 6 as part of a Malaysian or Chinese meal

you'll need;

1.5 kg of cockles, soaked in water for 30 minutes and cleaned well

4 shallots, sliced

6 cloves of garlic, sliced

3 large red chillies, sliced

2 lemon grass (white parts only), sliced finely

3 sprigs of curry leaves

5 tbs of oyster sauce

3 tbs of light soy

2 tbs of sugar

a dash of Chinese cooking wine

a dash of white pepper

Prepare the shallots, garlic, chillies and lemongrass.

Heat up a wok till smoking then saute shallots and garlic for 1 to 2 minutes with some cooking oil.

Add chillies, curry leaves and lemongrass and continue to stir fry for a minute or two.

Add cockles to the wok and mix well, in go the seasonings and stir fry on high heat for another minute. Make sure the cockles are not overcooked or they will turn out tough and rubbery.